Battered Wife Syndrome

Battered Wife SyndromeBattered wife syndrome (BWS) is a controversial concept, which was developed by Dr. Lenore E. Walker to give a description of a battered woman’s emotional state and her mindset. According to Walker’s definition, “a battered woman is a woman who has experienced at least two complete battering cycles as described in dating and domestic violence” (RAINN, 2010).The concept of battered woman syndrome has become an issue of heated debates not only among psychologists, but also among lawyers. This is because judges frequently face a question whether a battered woman syndrome can be an insanity plea or not. According to battered wife syndrome, a battered woman gets a psychological trauma; and thus, she does not understand that she acts violently. Therefore, a battered woman is not responsible for killing her abuser. However, the fact of an imminent danger to life must be proven.I think that the concept of battered woman syndrome has become a result of intensive feminist politics. There is no secret that men are also victims of domestic violence, including battering. Yet, men are denied to use BWS as a legal defense. I think that both men and women should be equally responsible for their violent acts, and gender cannot justify a violent murder. Of course, I have compassion on all severely battered women. However, I do not feel empathy to a murderer. A lot of people agree with the jury’s decision on a resonant Barbara Sheehan’s case, when the wife shot her husband with 11 bullets. The jury justified Barbara Sheehan’s lethal force basing on BWS (Bilefsky, 2011). Nevertheless, I do not accept the jury’s decision. On the one hand, Ms. Sheen had a right to feel safe at her house. In addition, she suffered from domestic violence for 20 years, and that day she felt that her husband would kill her. However, the court did not take into account the fact that Ms. Sheen was going to murder her husband with 11 bullets for several years. Was it a premeditated murder or self-defense? Why did not she leave her abuser much earlier? Why did she expose herself to evident risk?I am an opponent of using BWS as a legal defense, as I think that our law does not permit a battered wife to legally kill her husband without a proven fact of imminent danger, but simply when a woman cannot bear any more.ReferencesBilefsky, Dan. (2011). An Abused Wife? Or an Executioner? New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/nyregion/an-abused-wife-or-an-executioner.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&.RAINN. (2010). Battered Woman Syndrome. Retrieved from: …